Lost in the City Lights
by Erin Salvatore
Summary: AU/AH. Detective Damon Salvatore is working his usual shift when he gets a report about activity in an abandoned warehouse. He investigates and comes across Elena Gilbert, a pregnant 18-year-old runaway. He takes her home and cares for her. However, things get complicated when he falls for her, and she for him.
1. Chapter 1

**Lost in the City Lights**

**by Erin Salvatore**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing. Only the story is mine.**

_**Note: The idea for this new AU/AH Delena story came to me recently and I was reluctant to write it, mostly because I wasn't sure if it would sound as good written out as it did in my head. Anyway, the plot is this: Detective Damon Salvatore is working one of his usual shifts when he sees a light in an abandoned warehouse. He investigates it and comes across Elena Gilbert, a pregnant 18-year-old runaway. He takes her home with him and cares for her. Things then become complicated when he starts falling for her, and she for him.**_

_**Don't ask, just take it as it's written.**_

**Chapter 1**

_New York City_

**T**he night seemed to go on for hours as Damon Salvatore drove through the streets of Manhattan in his cruiser. He was a plainclothes detective on the NYPD and tonight, he was working his usual patrol. Things hadn't exactly been productive lately, made worse by the fact that his brother, Stefan, had a rare kidney disease and the doctors all said that a transplant was his best shot at survival. He was currently on a wait list for donors, but Damon doubted that a match would be found as time ticked by. Stefan was more than his little brother, he was also his best friend. When they were younger and their parents were getting a divorce, Damon would seek refuge in Stefan's room, and vice versa. It had been the two of them against the world and just like that, some stupid disease had to ruin everything.

Damon was still thinking about it when he heard a report come over his radio about some strange activity going on in an abandoned warehouse near Battery Park. Not sure what this was, but his curiosity was piquing anyway, Damon decided to investigate it. If anything, it would help take his mind off the situation with his brother. Hell, it might even help make his night a little more interesting.

It wasn't long until he arrived at the warehouse in question and saw a light on inside. _That's weird. Why the hell would a light be on in there? This building hasn't had activity in it since it got closed down two years ago, _he thought. _Well, might as well look into it. That is why I'm here, after all._

Inhaling and exhaling slowly, Damon stepped inside the building, holding both a flashlight and his gun. He didn't know if the person or people using this place as a hideout had a weapon, but it was good to be prepared. While he was looking around, he heard what sounded like a moan and followed the sound until he came to a old machine, where he saw a girl leaning up against it, clutching her stomach and moaning. When she saw Damon, she gasped, a look of panic in her eyes.

Seeing this, Damon said, "It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you. I'm a police officer. My name is Damon. What's yours?"

The girl coughed a bit. "Elena. Elena Gilbert."

Damon nodded. Good, at least he knew her name. That was a step in the right direction. "How old are you, Elena? Where are you from?"

"I just turned eighteen," said Elena. "I'm from Mystic Falls, Virginia. I ran away from home shortly after my birthday because my parents told me that I couldn't keep my baby, that I should give her up for adoption."

_That's why she's clutching her stomach. She's pregnant._ "How far along are you?"

"Five months."

"And the father? Where is he? I know it sounds like I'm asking a lot of questions, but it's my job."

"The father and I broke up when I told him I was pregnant," said Elena. "He told me that he didn't want to be tied down to a baby and just walked out of my life, never to be seen or heard from again." She coughed again. "Could we get out of here, Damon? I don't think I want to be here anymore."

Damon nodded. "It's okay, I'll make sure you don't have to spend the night here." He cautiously went over to her and, taking off his jacket, wrapped it around her to keep her warm. "Come on, I'll take you home with me. Granted, my brownstone isn't exactly like Mystic Falls, but it'll do."

Elena forced a smile at that. Even though they just met, she couldn't help but be fascinated by him. He was positively gorgeous, with short, sleek black hair that shimmered in the light, blue eyes that any girl would lose herself in, a body that was being hugged in all the right places by the gray shirt and black pants he was wearing. God, what she wouldn't give to wake up naked next to a body like that. It also didn't hurt that he had lips that she was tempted to kiss and nibble.

"Thank you, Damon," she said. "You have no idea how much I appreciate this. I promise that I won't be any trouble. The only bad thing I did was get pregnant, and believe me, I'm not looking to get arrested."

"No need to thank me, Elena," said Damon. "Knowing that you'll have a place to rest is thanks enough for me." He looked at the clothes she was wearing. "Another thing I'll do is get you some nice maternity clothes. As a matter of fact, my partner's wife is pregnant, and I'm sure she'll let you borrow some of hers."

He was referring to his partner, Klaus Mikaelson. Normally, Klaus would be working alongside him, but tonight, he had called in, saying that his wife, Caroline, had a low grade fever and that he was staying home to take care of her.

Elena nodded. Although she didn't want to feel like she was inconveniencing anyone, she decided to go along with it. For some reason, she felt safe with Damon, and not just because he was a police officer. No, she felt safe with him because he had a nurturing glow around him.

She let him take her hand and escort her out of the warehouse. As they walked toward his squad car, Damon got a better look at her. Even though it didn't seem so because she was a bit dirty, she was a beautiful girl, with long, dark brown hair that framed her face perfectly, dazzling brown eyes, a body that he could definitely imagine himself caressing as he made slow, tender love to her, even though he would have to be mindful of her belly, and lips that he'd give his right arm to kiss.

_Keep cool, Salvatore,_ his mind told him. _She got her heart trampled on by some careless bastard and may be a bit gun-shy around guys right now. Plus, she's got that baby of hers to think about. Just take things slow and let her get used to you._

_**Note: My muse has reared her ugly head again and prompted me to write this. There will be romance in here eventually. For now, I thought I'd have our leads meet. Stay tuned!**_

_**REVIEWS ARE LOVE!**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.**

_**Note: Previously, in "Lost in the City Lights," Detective Damon Salvatore meets Elena Gilbert, an 18-year-old pregnant runaway from Mystic Falls, Virginia**_

_**Thank you for the wonderful reviews so far! Got the idea for this chapter while in the shower. No spoilers, just follow along.**_

_Damon's Brownstone – Shortly after the Encounter in the Warehouse..._

**E**lena closed her eyes and let the water cascade down her body as she stuck her head under the water to wet her hair. God, it felt good to have a shower, simply because she didn't know how long it had been since she last bathed. Thankfully, Damon told her that she could use the guest bathroom. While she was washing herself, Elena let her thoughts go back to the day she broke the news of her pregnancy to her now ex-boyfriend, Tyler Lockwood, a day that stood out as perhaps one of the worst days of her young life:

"_Elena, are you okay? You've been awfully quiet."_

_Tyler's concerned voice snapped her to attention and Elena met his eyes. She hated to tell him the truth about why she asked to meet him in the woods, but she knew that she couldn't keep this from him. After all, this concerned him just as much as it did her. While it wasn't clear what his reaction would be, the fact of the matter was that he to be told before someone else told him instead._

_Gulping nervously, she said, "Tyler, do you remember what happened between us the night you won the Homecoming game?"_

"_Of course," he replied. "It was the best night of my life." He gave her a concerned look. "Elena, is there something you're not telling me?"_

"_There's no easy way to say this, so I'm just going to lay it all out," said Elena. "Tyler, I...I'm pregnant."_

_Tyler blinked. "You're what?"_

_Elena bit her lip. "I'm pregnant, and you're the father."_

_For several minutes following her confession, Tyler didn't speak. To be honest, he wasn't sure how to respond to it. Elena bit her lip again and when she reached out to touch his cheek, he smacked it away as if it were a fly._

"_There has to be a mistake," he said. "You can't be pregnant."_

"_It's not a mistake. Tyler, I just found out and I..."_

"_Don't, Elena, don't say another word," said Tyler. "In fact, I want you to get out of my sight before I do something I'll regret. Believe me, you don't want to be here if I get pissed off. So, unless you want me to hurt you, you'd walk away right now."_

_Elena knew that she should walk away, but she didn't. Instead, she tried to touch his cheek again, but instead of him hitting her hand away, he slapped her face. In fact, he hit her face so hard that her nose started to bleed. Seeing her like that scared him and, instead of apologizing for it, he ran off, leaving her to cry and let the fact that he had just broken up with her sink in._

As she let herself come back to reality, Elena felt tears stinging her eyes and backed up against the tile of the shower, sliding down and wrapping her arms around her legs, burying her face in her thighs and sobbing.

_Elsewhere..._

Damon dialed Klaus' number, hoping to catch him. He knew that it was late and he'd probably catch hell for it, but he had to talk to him, having promised Elena that he'd ask if she could borrow some maternity clothes from Caroline until he could buy her new ones. He couldn't very well let her continue wearing the clothes she currently had, since they looked like they hadn't been changed in God knows how long.

Finally, he heard the familiar British accent belonging to Klaus answering on the other end. "Yes, Damon? What can I do for you, mate?"

"I need you to do me a favor," he replied. "Does Caroline have any extra maternity clothes?"

Damon's question seemed to baffle him. "Why? Are you going undercover as a pregnant woman?"

"No, you idiot, I need them for a friend," said Damon. "See, she's here from out of town and she didn't bring any extra clothes with her. So, I told her that I'd call you and ask if she could borrow some of Caroline's until she could buy new ones."

"I think she might have some to spare," said Klaus. "Sometimes, Caroline tends to buy more than what she needs." He cleared his throat. "What's your friend's name and where is she visiting from?"

"Her name is Elena Gilbert," said Damon. "She's visiting from Mystic Falls, Virginia."

Klaus nodded on the other end. "All right, I'll see what I can do about the clothes. When do you want me to come by?"

"Would tonight be too soon?"

"When tonight?"

"Damn it, Klaus, just bring the clothes," said Damon. "I really don't want to get into an argument with you over the phone."

He hung up in time to see Elena coming toward him. She was wearing one of his black T-shirts, which seemed to fit comfortably over her belly. Damon tried to keep from groaning at the sight of her. Shit, had it been that long since he last saw a woman in one of his shirts like that? _It's going to be very hard not to go over there, take her in my arms, and kiss her the way she's looking at me._

He then saw that her eyes were red. Shit, she had been crying. "What happened? Are you okay?"

Elena shook her head. "No, I'm not okay, Damon. I just had this flashback while I was in the shower. I...I remembered the day I told my boyfriend about the baby."

Damon saw that she was starting to cry again and went over to her, pulling her into a hug and running his fingers through her damp hair as she sobbed against his chest. "If you ask me, he was an idiot for what he did to you."

"Tyler wasn't just an idiot," said Elena. "He was an idiot who was also the son of the mayor of Mystic Falls."

Damon stepped back, raising an eyebrow. "Wait, I thought you broke up because he didn't want to tied down to a baby?"

"That was _one_ of the reasons," said Elena. "The other reason was because he didn't want his family name tarnished." She sniffed. "Damon, you have no idea just how powerful the Lockwoods are. They have connections like you wouldn't believe, something that I didn't know until I got involved with Tyler. My friends warned me not to go out with him, but I didn't listen."

Damon nodded and then hugged her again. "Well, he can't hurt you anymore, Elena. You're safe here with me. You and your baby are safe with me."

"Damon, you don't have to do this."

"I want to," he replied. "I took an oath to protect people, and _you're_ one of those people."

Elena wanted to protest further, but decided against it, because it would only fall on deaf ears anyway. If he was willing to risk everything to protect her, then who was she to keep him from doing his job? Sighing, she said, "All right, Damon, I'll let you protect me. You did open your home to me, _and_ your partner's wife is going to lend me her maternity clothes until I buy some of my own, so it's the least I can do."

_**Note: Here you go, guys, an update. Now, I don't ship Gilwood, but I had Tyler (whom I've been calling Lockwolf for quite some time) be Elena's ex-boyfriend and baby daddy. I did this before, in a previous Delena story, "In Session," where Lockwolf was Elena's ex-husband, so this wasn't new for me. Anyway, stay tuned for more! Fear not, guys, the romance will come, I'm just pacing myself because they just met. There is an attraction, though, as you can see.**_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.**

_**Note: Previously, in "Lost in the City Lights," Elena has a flashback to when she told Tyler about the baby, resulting him breaking up with her, while Damon calls Klaus and asks him to bring some of Caroline's maternity clothes.**_

_**Thank you for the reviews! Got an idea for this chapter and I wanted to share. No spoilers, just read what I have here.**_

_Later..._

**D**amon poured some freshly made tea into two mugs, placed them on a tray, and took them out to the living room, where Elena was seated on the couch, covered in a blanket she had taken off the loveseat. He hated that she was so broken like this. In fact, he hated that Tyler kid for not only breaking her heart, but also for being such an asshole toward her. True, the pregnancy was something neither of them were expecting to happen, but that didn't warrant such behavior. He wondered if any of that was taught to him by his parents, namely his father, the mayor.

"I made you some tea."

Elena looked at him and nodded. "Thank you."

Damon gave her a small smile as he brought the tray into the room, placing Elena's on a coaster on the coffee table while leaving his on the tray. He wasn't particularly interested in drinking it at the moment, he just didn't want Elena to be only one who was having tea.

Clearing his throat, he said, "I know that under the circumstances it doesn't seem so, but you're going to get through this, Elena."

"How do you know that?" she said. "You don't even know me."

"Maybe not, but in my line of work, I've seen girls in the same position that you're in right now, some of them even worse than you are," said Damon. "They got through their rough times with support, hard work, and determination. If they could do it, I have a feeling you can too."

"I'll bet you say that to all the runaways you meet."

"No, not all of them," said Damon. "Just the ones that I think are worth saving." He sat down next to her. "I definitely think you're worth saving, Elena, even if you think that you're not. Your baby needs you to be strong, especially now."

Elena smiled. "I've been telling myself that every day since I left home."

Damon was about to answer her when there was a knock at the door. "To be continued."

That being said, he got up from where he was sitting and checked the peep hole. When he saw that it was Klaus, he opened the door and let him in. Elena eyed the other man curiously. He was definitely attractive, that was for sure. _His wife is definitely one lucky duck to be married to a man that gorgeous,_ she thought. _I know I'd be. Hell, I probably be worried that strange women would ogle him whenever he walks out the door._

"I hope these are to your friend's liking," he said. "They're mostly dresses. Caroline likes to be stylish, pregnant or not."

Damon nodded. "I'm sure it won't be a problem." He looked toward Elena. "Right, Elena?"

His question snapped her out of her reverie and she nodded. "Sure, I don't mind."

Klaus looked at her and then back at Damon. "You never mentioned your friend's age when we spoke on the phone earlier. I was assuming she was about Caroline's age, but she looks to be far _younger_ than that. Just how old _is_ she?"

"She's eighteen," said Damon. "I know I wasn't specific, but it got you to bring the clothes over, didn't it?"

"I realize that it's been a while since you had a woman here," said Klaus. "But, I _never_ suspected that you would resort to high school girls."

Damon looked indignant. "Get your mind out of the gutter, you pervert, it's not _like_ that. She's here because I didn't want her to be where something could happen to her and/or her baby." _Oh, bullshit, you were picturing her naked the moment you saw her at the warehouse,_ his thoughts added. "Do you kiss Caroline with that mouth?"

Klaus smiled. "I _do_, actually."

Damon rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

Klaus smiled again at his reaction and then looked at Elena. "My apologies, love. Allow me to introduce myself, I'm Klaus Mikaelson, Damon's partner."

"Nice to meet you finally," she replied. "I'm Elena."

"Yes, Damon told me about you when he called me earlier," said Klaus. "But, he never mentioned just how beautiful you are."

Damon rolled his eyes again and pushed his partner toward the door. "Okay, that's enough. You did what you came here to do, now get out of here. Tell Caroline I send her my regards."

Klaus nodded. "I'll be sure to do that. And I wish you a lot of luck with Elena."

Once the other man was outside, Damon shut and locked the door, looking back at Elena. "I'm sorry about that. Klaus can be an idiot sometimes. But, I love him like a brother, which is why I put up with his bullshit."

"He seemed nice, though," said Elena. "And he has a very nice voice. Where's he from?"

"England, hence the accent," said Damon. "And I can't blame you for thinking that way. _All_ the woman like his accent, including his wife, Caroline."

Elena then spotted a picture on the end table next to the couch and picked it up, looking closely at it. She recognized Damon, but the young man next to him wasn't familiar to her. "Who's the guy in this picture with you?"

"That's my brother, Stefan."

"Does he live here with you? I'd like to meet him."

Damon bit his lip. Did he dare tell her about Stefan? "He's, uh, he's in the hospital."

"Oh my God," said Elena, looking up from the picture. "Is he okay?"

"He's very sick," said Damon. "He was diagnosed with a rare kidney disease about two years ago and the doctors say that his best hope of survival is getting a transplant. The wait list for a kidney is like the size of Manhattan, and Stefan has on it for almost a year now. I try to stay positive, but it gets harder and harder."

Elena nodded. "Are you close?"

"Yes," said Damon. "We even comforted each other when our parents were getting a divorce. I would go to his room for comfort, and vice versa. You see, Elena, Stefan is more than just my brother, he's also my best friend. Up until he got sick, it was us against the world."

Elena could see that he was getting upset as he spoke and, forgetting about the tea, went over to him, hugging him. "I'm so sorry, Damon."

Damon nodded as he hugged her back. "Yeah, I'm sorry too. I'm sorry that I haven't always been strong for Stefan, especially not when he needs me to be."

"Damon, don't talk like that," said Elena. "I may not know you very well, but I can tell that you're a great guy. I mean, you took me in when no one else would, and I'm grateful to you for that." She kissed his cheek. "I know you're worried about Stefan, but he's going to get a new kidney and he's going to pull through. It may not be today, but soon."

Damon felt her kissing his cheek and was tempted to return the favor, except it wouldn't be on the cheek, it would be on the lips. However, he told himself to resist the urge, no matter how strong it was.

_**Note: Late update, I know, but hey, it's an update. Elena has now met Klaus and has found out about Stefan. Stay tuned!**_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.**

_**Note: Previously, in "Lost in the City Lights," Elena meets Klaus and learns about Stefan.**_

_**Thank you for the great reviews, guys! Just got an idea for this next chapter and wanted to get a jump on it. No spoilers, except that things are about to get a bit dramatic.**_

_New York Presbyterian/Lower Manhattan Hospital – 2 Weeks Later..._

**D**amon carefully held Elena's hand as they walked into the hospital together. They were both going to visit Stefan, since Elena had expressed interest in meeting him two weeks ago, when she had seen the picture of him at the brownstone. When they got to the information desk, the woman behind the counter smiled at them.

"Detective Salvatore, how good to see you again," she said. "Here to see your brother?"

Damon returned her smile. "Yes, Maggie, I'm here to see my brother. I know that it's been a while since I last visited him, but you know, I have to do the old 'Protect and Serve,' and I don't get enough days off."

"You don't have to explain, I know how busy you are," said Maggie. "But, I also know that you make sure that your brother gets the best care possible." She noticed Elena. "I see you brought a friend with you this time."

"Maggie Lawrence, this is Elena Gilbert. She's a runaway that I took in," said Damon. "Elena, this is Maggie, a very good friend of mine."

Elena smiled at her. "Nice to meet you, Maggie."

"Likewise," the older woman replied. "You know, this is the first time that Damon has brought anyone with him when he visits his brother. Up until he met you, he's been coming here alone." She placed her hand on top of her Elena's free hand. "Take my advice, dear, and never let this gorgeous man out of your sight. He's been through so much and he needs someone like you to make him smile."

Damon could tell that Elena was getting a little uncomfortable, so he excused them from the desk and went to the elevator. When they got there, Damon pressed the UP button and sure enough, there was an available elevator to take them to the fourth floor. During the ride up, Damon decided to break the uneasy silence between them.

"I'm so sorry about Maggie," he said. "She means well, but sometimes, she can be a little scary."

"It's okay, Damon, really," said Elena. "I actually liked her. She seems nice, and in a way, she reminds me of my mom."

It wasn't long before they reached the fourth floor and went down a corridor that seemed to go on for almost eternity until they reached Stefan's room, number 4107. When they got there, Damon noticed that Stefan already had a visitor, a visitor that he recognized right away.

"Rebekah, what are you doing here?"

Rebekah looked at him. "I'm visiting your brother, of course. What kind of a girl would I be if I didn't visit my boyfriend in the hospital?"

"Whoa, whoa, back the truck up here," said Damon. "Are you telling me that you and Stefan are _dating_? How long has _this_ been going on, and why the hell am I just now finding out that my brother has a girlfriend?"

Stefan decided to answer the question for Rebekah. "We've been dating for about a month now. I wanted to tell you, but she wanted to keep things on the downlow for now. Nobody else knows about it, not even Klaus. Kind of ironic, considering how he's the one who told her to come and cheer me up."

"Oh, this is bullshit," said Damon. "I can't believe that you two have been dating for the past month and keeping it from me and Klaus." He sighed heavily. "I know that you've been lonely, and that I haven't been visiting you lately because of work, but..."

Rebekah took notice of Elena, cutting Damon off. "Who's your friend, Damon?"

"Rebekah, this is Elena Gilbert. She's been staying with me because she has nowhere else to go," he replied. "Elena, this is Rebekah Mikaelson, Klaus' sister. The young man in the bed is my brother, Stefan, the one whose picture you were admiring at the brownstone."

Just like before, Elena smiled, but before she could say anything, a stabbing pain hit her and, letting out a cry of agony, she fell to the floor. Damon saw her fall and knelt down beside her. He didn't know what was happening, especially since up until now, she had been perfectly healthy.

"Elena, are you okay? What happened?"

"I...I don't know," she replied. "I felt this pain in my stomach." Another shot of pain hit her, resulting in another scream. "Oh God, it hurts so bad!"

Stefan watched this and then looked at Rebekah. "Go get a doctor. Tell whoever you find that we've got an emergency in 4107 and to come as fast as they can."

Rebekah nodded and left the room to find a doctor. Once she was gone, Stefan looked at his brother and Elena. He then noticed that Elena's belly was slightly disintended and tilted his head in curiosity. What the hell?

"Damon, is Elena...pregnant?"

"She is," his brother replied. "Five months, to be exact. I wasn't going to tell you because I wasn't sure if she would've wanted everyone to know. The only ones who do are myself and Klaus."

Stefan nodded. "She's going to be okay, right?"

"I hope so," said Damon. "I'm responsible for her, so it'll be my fault if anything happens to her."

"Damon, no," said Elena, a slight moan in her voice. "Please, don't blame yourself. It's not your fault that this is happening to me."

Damon never got to answer her because Rebekah was back, accompanied by a doctor that she had found. Elena started screaming again and the doctor knelt down, seeing that blood was forming on the front of her dress. The doctor then said something, but Damon didn't know what he was saying because his attention was all over the place. When a wheelchair arrived, he saw them place Elena in it and as they wheeled her away, Damon didn't follow them. It wasn't that he didn't want to, which he did, it was because he was scared.

Stefan noticed his brother's behavior and raised his eyebrow. "Aren't you going to go see if she's okay?"

"And do what, Stefan?"

"Well, support her, for one," said Stefan. "It's obvious that she's going to need someone to be there by her side, _especially_ if this turns out to be serious, which it certainly looked like it was going to be. Maybe not as serious as this damn kidney disease I have, but..."

Rebekah gave her boyfriend a stern look. "He gets the picture, Stefan. You don't have to pound it into him." She shifted her gaze to Damon. "He is right, though. Elena is going through hell right now and she's going to need you there telling her that everything is going to be okay, even if she may feel like shit."

Damon wanted to protest, but knew it would be futile, with both his brother and Rebekah not letting up on wanting him to see if Elena was okay. Finally, he decided to do what they were telling him, knowing that his conscience would torture him if he didn't. With a sigh, he excused himself and took the elevator to the fifth floor, which housed the maternity ward. When he got to the desk, he told the nurse that he was here to see Elena, and she directed him to the room she was taken to. Nodding, Damon went in search of the room he had been given and when he got there, he saw Elena sitting in the bed, tears rolling down her cheeks, which made his heart sink the moment he saw them. Shit, this was serious, just like Stefan said it would.

"Elena?"

Elena looked at him. "I lost her, Damon. I lost my baby."

Damon approached the bed and grabbed a chair, sat down, and grabbed her hand, kissing it gently. "I'm so sorry, Elena."

"So am I," she replied. "I was looking forward to meeting her, holding her in my arms, and everything. I even bought baby clothes and toys when I went shopping the other day." Sobbing, she added, "Now, I'll never get to use any of it."

Hearing her sobs, Damon took her into his arms and ran his fingers through her hair, letting her sob against him. His heart went out to her in that moment. Why couldn't this beautiful girl catch a break? First, her asshole ex-boyfriend dumped her and now, she just lost her baby. A blow like this was going to take time to get over. Damon knew the feeling all too well, because his mother had two miscarriages before she had Stefan, and he remembered seeing how devastated she was in the weeks following said miscarriages. She was so devastated, in fact, that she nearly committed suicide.

Damon then bit his lip, hoping that Elena didn't resort to that. Finally, he said, "I'm not going to let you go through this alone, Elena. I'll help you."

"You don't have to."

"I want to," he replied. "Believe me, I know what you're going through. My mother went through the exact same thing. Before she had Stefan, she had two miscarriages, and I saw her in so much pain that she nearly took her own life. I don't want that to happen to you, Elena."

Elena said nothing to that, just nodded tearfully and pulled back to meet his gaze. Then, before she could stop herself, she kissed him. Not sure why she was doing it but not about to stop her, Damon returned her kiss, gently stroking her tear-stained cheek with his thumb.

_**Note: Long time, huh? Yeah, like I said, things got a bit more dramatic in this chapter. Don't worry, things will improve for Elena. I don't plan on her being devastated over the loss of the baby for very long. I'm not saying she won't be heartbroken, which she will be, but I won't drag it out for too long. Anyway, stay tuned!**_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_


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